Disability Pride Month: Anchor as an Inclusive Employer

As an inclusive employer, Anchor is proud to celebrate Disability Pride Month this month.

Led by our fantastic enABLE Network, we’ll be sharing colleague stories internally, encouraging discussions around how to be an ally and raising awareness of different types of disabilities colleagues at Anchor have.

We also wanted to take this opportunity to answer some FAQs around how Anchor is an inclusive employer too.

What is the enABLE Network?

Every colleague has a part to play in displaying the right behaviours and promoting them within their teams and wider business. We encourage this through our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Networks – one of these is enABLE, our disability positive network.

By joining a network colleagues can help us recognise and celebrate areas of success as well as identify any areas for improvement. EnABLE is open to colleagues with disabilities and/or caring responsibilities and aims to provide information and support to colleagues via an informal, confidential, peer-run environment.

Our networks play a key part in highlighting potential barriers to colleagues and identifying potential solutions. Other networks include:

• embRACE – race and ethnicity network
• Rainbow – LGBT+ network
• Inclusive Ambassadors – network members act as role models and allies to others.

How does Anchor’s culture lend itself to being inclusive?

At Anchor, we believe a positive culture encourages and celebrates diversity. We encourage colleagues to join us from all backgrounds especially those who are from underrepresented groups.

To make Anchor a great place to work, we want everyone to be able to bring their whole self to work. We have dedicated policies, procedures, training and resources in place that help our all of our colleagues understand the importance of a diverse workforce, celebrate difference and ensure equality in everything we do.

Our fantastic colleague networks, commitment from Senior Leaders and our EDI strategy ensure that inclusion is always part of the conversation and remain as a top priority for us.

At Anchor, we live by the values of accountability, respect, courageousness and honesty and they go hand-in-hand with making sure we value diversity and champion an inclusive culture.

What commitments has Anchor made to be inclusive?

In addition to our colleague networks, policies and procedures, we’re also proud to be a member of:

Inclusive Employers – Inclusive Employers are experts on workplace inclusion. They are the first and leading membership organisation for employers who are committed to prioritising inclusion and creating truly inclusive workplaces.

Stonewall Diversity Champion – The Diversity Champions programme is the leading employers’ programme for ensuring all LGBTQ+ staff are free to be themselves in the workplace.

Care Leaver Covenant – The Care Leaver Covenant is a national inclusion programme that supports care leavers aged 16-25 to live independently.

HouseProud Pledge – The HouseProud Pledge is a scheme that all social housing providers (housing associations, local authorities and ALMOs) can sign up to, to demonstrate their commitment to LGBTQ+ resident equality and support.

Why does Anchor ask for disability declaration at application?

When you apply for a job at Anchor, there’s a section of the application form around disability – there’s a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, we want to ensure we can accommodate you and make any reasonable adjustments in the interview process and beyond. Secondly, as an inclusive employer, we’re committed to encouraging and celebrating colleagues from all kinds of backgrounds. Our culture is diverse and inclusive, we’re proud to see this resonate through each department in the company and at every level within the company. In order to make sure we’re on track with our ambitions we need to know who is applying to our roles.